Roller type overrunning clutch



April 7, 1953 E. F. AYER ET AL 2,633,951

ROLLER TYPE OVERRUNNING CLUTCH Filed Oct. :5. 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 I aZ IJ April 7, 1953 E. F. AYER ET'AL 1 ROLLER TYPE OVERRUNNING CLUTCH Filed Oct. 5. 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 drawings.

Patented Apr. 7, 1953 ROLLER TYPE OVERRUNNING CLUTCH Ermon F. Ayer, North Haven, and Samuel P. Caldwell, Hamden, Conn., assignors to High Precision, Incorporated, Hamden, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application October 3, 1950, Serial No. 188,134

This invention relates to clutches, and more especially to clutches of the uni-directional or overrunning type.

It is one of the main objects of the present invention to provide a clutch of the overrunning type which is espacially, though not exclusively, adapted'for power transmission in drives of relatively small dimensions.

Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a clutch of this type which may be relatively small in size and condensed in construction, yet may safely transmit a considerable torque.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a clutch of this type of which all parts are arranged in two units that constitute the driving and driven members, respectively, of the clutch, thereby to facilitate the mounting of these clutch-members in, and their dismounting from, any drive and especially drives of small dimensions.

'It is another object of the present invention to provide a clutch of this type of which one of the clutch-members is a single element and the other clutch-member embodies all the remaining parts of the clutch in a self-contained unit, so that tampering with these parts in their assembled relation, or the replacement of any one or more defective parts, by an operator is discouraged, and defective performance of the clutch through wear of any one or more of the parts of this unit may quickly and easily be remedied even by an unskilled operator by simply replacing the entire unit with a factory-assembled and tested unit.

It is also among the objects of the present invention to make the parts of this self -contained clutch-unit from readily available standard stock materials by simple and preferably autocision in construction and function, nevertheless lends itself to highly efficient mass production at low cost.

Other objects and advantages will appear to those skilled in the art from the following, considered in conjunction with the accompanying 2 Claims. (Cl. 19245) In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. l is a side elevation of an assembled overrunning-type clutch embodying the present in vention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end elevation of the clutch as viewed in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, partial longitudinal section and partial elevation of the clutch, the section being taken on the line 33 of Fig. l, and a certain driving-unit of the clutch being shown angularly displaced from the position shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section through the clutch as taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 perspectively illustrates companion parts of a certain unit of the clutch in disassembled relation; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a certain unit of the clutch as viewed generally in the direction of the arrow 6 in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, and more especially to Figs. 1 to 3 thereof, the reference numeral Ill designates a clutch of the uni-directional type, and more particularly of the overrunning type, having the clutch-members II and [2, of which member H is usually the driver and member I2 is usually the driven member, although they may, if necessary, be used in the alternative- The clutch-member I2 is, in the present instance, in the form of a cup [3, having an internal cylindrical clutch-surface l4 and a rearwardly-extending shank [5 which is centrally bored at 16. The clutch-member l2 may, by means of its shank l5, be mounted on, or coupled to, any shaft of a drive for which the instant clutch is intended.

The other clutch-member ll comprises, in. th present instance, a shaft IT, a hub I8 thereon, and a plurality of rollers [9 which, in the assembled relation of the clutch, are interposed between the hub l8 and the clutch-surface I4 of the clutch-member [2 (Figs. 3 and 4).;0Th'e hub I8 is provided with as many cam-faces 20 as there are rollers l9. In the presentinstance, there are provided four of these rollers l9, wherefore the hub I8 is provided with four cam-faces 20, each of which is adapted to cooperate with a roller l9. Each roller is is urged into engagement with the clutch-surface [4 of the clutchmember I2 and with the adjacent cam-face 2!! of the hub l8 by means of a helical compressiontype spring 2!. The shaft [1, onwhich the presently separate hub I8 may be mounted in any suitable manner, as by press-fitting, for instance, is journalled in the bore IE of the clutch-member I2 (Fig. 3) for rotation of the hub I8 coaxially of the latter.

For advantageous reasons hereinafter described, the hub I8, rollers I9 and springs 2| are arranged in a self-contained driving-unit 22. To this end, the hub I8, which is preferably made of steel, is provided at its opposite ends with machined cylindrical bosses 23 and 24, respectively, on which are mounted end-rings or flanges 25 and 26, respectively. More particularly, the bosses 23 and 24 are, in the present instance, provided with oifset annular shoulders '21 and 28, respectively, of which angularly-spaced portions are simply swaged or punched at 29 and 30, respectively, into firm overlapping engagement with the respective end-rings 25 and 26 for the secure mounting of the latter on the hub I8 (Figs. 3 and 6). The hub I8 and end-rings 25 and 26 together form a cage in which therollers I9 :and springs 2| are mounted in the following manner.

In assembling the end-rings 25 and 26 with the hub I8 as described above, the rollers I9 are interposed between these end-rings adjacent the cam-faces 20, respectively, of thehub, and pposite pintles 3| on each roller I9 are inserted into aligned slots 32 and 33 in the end-rings 25 and 26, respectively. The rollers I9 are thus securely anchored in the end-rings 25 and 26 against removal therefrom, yet are permitted by the 'prefer'ably arcuate slots 32 and .33 in the endrings25 and .28, respectively, to float restrictedly in all directions transversely of their respective axes. The rollers I9 may also have more or less axial play between the end-rings 2'5 and '26 so long, as it is insuflicient to permit their removal from between the latter.

The end-ring 25 is, in the present instance, provided with diametrically-opposite peripheral notches 32 and 33' from which extend inwardlyformed integral lugs or arms 34 and '35, respectively, each of which has a laterally-extending.

The

from the adjacent rollers I9 when the latter are in driving engagement with the clutch-member I2. For the secure anchorage of the .compression springs 2I on the spring-retaining fingers .36 and 4|, respectively, each spring ,2I has a few end turns 42 wound closer than the remaining turns thereof. These closely-wound end turns 22 of each spring iii are passed over a spring-retaining finger 36 or H, as the case may be, andbecome :seated thereon with suilicient snugnessto hold the opposite end of the spring in engagement with the adjacent roller I19, even when the drivingunit 22 is removed from the clutch-member I2 (Fig. 6). The springs 2I thus mounted in the driving-unit 22 urge the adjacent rollers I9, in the assembled condition of the clutch, into engagement with the clutch-surface i l of thedriven clutch-member I2 and the adjacent cam-face 20 of the hub I8 (Fig. l). Accordingly, in the instant example of an overrunning clutch, and assuming the clutch-member II to be the driver,

clockwise rotation only of the latter as viewed in Fig. 4 will be transmitted to the driven clutchmember I2. To make a clutch of the instant type perform in the opposite direction, it is merely necessary to reverse the assembly end-for-end in the cup I3, as will be readily understood.

The hub I8 of the instant driving-unit 22 may conveniently and advantageously be made from square steel-bar stock, While the rollers I9 may be made from round steel-bar stock. In order to prevent rapidwear. of the clutch parts I2, I8 and I9, they may be hardened. The slotted end-rings 25 and 26 may conveniently be stamped from sheet metal and their respective lugs 34, and 39, 'bent inwardly into the disposition shown in Fig. 5. Thus, the hub I8 and the rollers I9 may be madefrom readily available bar stock, while the end-rings 25 and 26 may be simple stampings.

It appears from Fig. 5 that the opposite endrings 25 and 26are identical in every respect, except that the respective lugs thereon extend in opposite directions. It also appears from Fig. 5 that each end-ring 25 andlfi is formed so as to be substantially dynamically balanced when mounted on the hub I3. Accordingly, since hub I 8..is .by virtue of its symmetrical form substantially dynamically balanced and the rollers I 9 are identical, the entire unit 221s in substantial dynamic .balance. Further, the spring retaining or anchoring fingers onthe lugs of the end-rings 25 and 26 extend in a common transverse plane through hub I8 substantially midway. between the end rings .25 and 23 (Fig. 3), so that the springs 2! urge the respective rollers I9 most uniformly into engagement with the clutch surface I I of the outer clutch member I2 and the adjacent cam face 20, respectively, .of the hub Hi.

It follows from the preceding description that the instant clutch is structurally extremely simple. Thus, only a minimum number of diiierent parts I8, I9, 2!, 25 and 26 are required for the driving-unit 22, and these parts are readily assembled without requiring any special skill on the part of the assembler. Hence, the instant clutch, by virtue of the structural simplicity of the few different parts of the driving-unit 22 and the ease with which these parts maybe assembled, lends itself to efficient mass production at low cost, while nevertheless having all the attributes of precision in construction and operation and being, moreover, well balanced dynamically. The instant clutch lends itself to especially efficient and low-cost mass production since the hub I8 and the rollers I9 may be cut from available bar stock, and they require no further machining other than centrally boring the hub I8 for its mounting on the shaft I1 and, if desired, breaking the corners of the hub as illustrated, and turningthe rollers I9 for the provision of the pintles 3| thereon. Further, the instant endrings 25 and 25 permit the ready and convenient as well as secure anchorage of the rollers I9 and the springs 2!. The assembly of the driving-unit 22 is further facilitated in that the parts thereof are securely locked in their correctly assembled relation by simple deformation of one of these parts, i. e., the swaging of the opposite shoulders 21 and 28 on the'hub I8.

The instant clutch I0 is, by virtue of the provision of the self-contained driving-unit 22, particularly useful in drives of small or relatively small dimensions, in that the assembly of the clutch-members II and I2 into the clutch requires no furtherassembly of any other parts and is accomplished by simply sliding the drivingunit 22 axially into the clutch-member l2. While the instant clutch may, for drives of small or relatively small dimensions, be made of accordingly small size, the same will nevertheless safely transmit a very considerable torque if necessary. Further, the factory-assembly of the clutch parts [8, i9, 2 I, 25 and 26 into the single self-contained driving-unit 22 will discourage any operator from tampering with these parts or from repairing any one or more defective parts, since defective performance of the clutch by reason of wear of any one of these parts may assuredly be remedied much quicker, simpler and cheaper by simply replacing the entire unit with a new factoryassembled and tested unit.

'The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

We claim:

1. In a clutch of the overrunning type having a roller between the clutch surfaces of the inner and outer clutch members thereof, the combination of separate lateral apertured flanges permanently secured to the opposite ends, respectively, of one of said clutch members, one of said flanges havin an integral arm projecting inwardly into the space between said clutch surfaces and being provided with an integral laterally projecting finger; an axially compressed spring seated with one end against said arm and bearing with its other end against said roller-to urge the same into driving engagement with said clutch surfaces, said finger being of cross-sectionally smaller. area than the axial opening through the majority of successive turns, including an end turn, of said spring, and the remaining turns of said spring being wound closer than the turns of said majority and embrace said finger with sufficient snugness axially to project said spring against the periphery of said roller, and said finger being of a length to extend into said spring to such an extent only that the greater part of the length of said spring in its compressed condition extends beyond said finger; and opposite end pintles on said roller, said flanges being adapted axially to confine said roller therebetween and said apertures therein being aligned and receiving the opposite end pintles, respectively, of said roller with freedom to move restrictedly, so that said flanges, roller and spring form together with said one clutch member a single contained unit.

2. In a clutch of the overrunning type having a roller between the clutch surfaces of the inner and outer clutch members thereof, the combination of separate lateral apertured flanges permanently secured to the opposite ends, respectively, of one of said clutch members, one of said flanges having an integral arm projecting inwardly into the space between said clutch surfaces and bein provided with an integral laterally projecting finger; an axially compressed spring seated with one end against said arm and bearing with its other end against said roller to urge the same into driving engagement with said clutch surfaces, said finger being of cross-sectionally smaller area than the axial opening through a plurality of successive turns, including an end turn, of said spring, and the remaining turns of said spring being wound closer than the turns of said plurality and embrace said finger with sufiicient snugness axially to project said spring against the periphery of said roller; and opposite end pintles on said roller, said flanges being adapted axially to confine said roller therebetween and said apertures therein being aligned and receiving the opposite end pintles, respectively, of 'saidroller with freedom to move restrictedly, so that said flanges, roller and spring form together with said one clutch member a single contained unit, and said finger being of a I length to extend into said spring to such an extent only that the latter may, without permanent distortion, be readily placed over said finger and projected against said roller after said one clutch member, flanges and roller are assembled.

ERMON F. AYER. SAMUEL P. CALDWELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the r file of this patent: 

